


Of course it had to be Cate Blanchett

by LolaIbz



Series: The love life of a fearsome Dragon and a daring Doe [1]
Category: The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Genre: Cate is a very smart cinnamon roll, Established Relationship, F/F, Jealous Miranda, Very jealous Miranda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-10-26
Packaged: 2019-08-07 00:33:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16398041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LolaIbz/pseuds/LolaIbz
Summary: Andrea drops by at Runway to share exciting news with Miranda when she comes across an unexpected visitor.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I came up with this story thanks to a comment by Pile of Stuff on my previous story, "Medical leave"

Cub reporter of the New York Mirror, Andrea Sachs, left the newsroom and hurriedly descended the stairs to the ground floor and into the street. Being a cub reporter sucked to be honest. After almost a year there, she was still given menial tasks, obituaries and filling news she was sure were so minor that she'd eat her purse if more than a dozen people read them. BUT she had a steady income while clawing her way up the tortuous world of journalism. 

When she was not at the office, Andrea had opted for poking and prodding around looking for freelance writing assignments, which had payed off quite well. People had started to recognize her byline not only in New York. She was beside herself when the Managing Editor from the Washington Post told her that even though they'd already chosen another article on the health care issue, he found her work very interesting and that he was looking forward to read her again and maybe, there could be a free space for her in future editions.

Even the Cincinnati Enquirer had taken up two or three of her articles, introducing her as the most promising native writer of the year, which had prompted her father to phone her after long months of stubborn silence. Richard Sachs was sincerely proud and happy, he vowed to call her at least every week and he had been faithfully doing so since August. He apologised repeatedly to her and even visited New York twice, but her mother stayed pig-headed as usual. She couldn't come to terms with the idea of her own daughter living with the Dragon Lady. She had been very clear during her call number who-knows-which that the older woman was only using her, that she'd chew her up and spew her out when she no longer needed her. So, things with her mother weren't exactly looking bright.

Wrapping her coat more firmly around her, she quickened her steps heading for the nearest Starbucks. Half an hour earlier she had received an e-mail saying that the New York Times editor had approved of her article and would be including it in the upcoming issue, and she wanted to share the news with Miranda. The queue was short and in no time she was in the street again, holding two cups of steaming coffee that would have to replace the champagne in a symbolic toast, at least until later that evening, when she was planning to indulge herself and drink and make love to her beautiful lover.

She entered the Elias-Clarke building, smiling warmly at the guards who returned her attentions and took the elevator. When the elevator pinged signaling the arrival, the brunette strode swiftly towards the editor's sanctuary firing a quick greeting to the second assistant at her former desk. She felt a surge of nostalgia at the sight of her previous work station but was quickly overpowered by the knowledge that she had traded her place in Miranda's office for a place in the editor's life, home and bed.

-"Morning, Anna" - she acknowledged the second assistant who was tiping away furiously. Anna had been a great addition to the staff. Where Janette (the first assistant) was talkative, she was poised and silent, she also struggled, as did her blonde colleague, to adjust to the pace at the office but she carried herself with so much grace that one could say she floated where Janette sprinted. 

-"Good morning, Miss Sachs. Ah, Miranda is not..." - she tried intercede but Andy was already going through the office doors, pushing them open with her hip while holding the coffee-

-"It's ok, I'll wait for her. And I told you to call me Andy" - she pointed good-naturedly - 

The brunette maneuvred to close the doors with her foot without spilling on the floor, her messenger bag dangling precariously on her shoulder, threatening with crashing on the floor with the journalist's notebook inside.

-"Aaah, damn!" 

-"Let me help you" - a soft unknown voice floated across the office - 

-"W-what?" - Andrea was starttled, she hadn't notice the blonde sitting on the coach near the window. 

The misterious woman put down what seemed to be a bunch of photographs and approached the brunette, the light filtering through the window gave her an angelical aura.

-"Here, give me the mugs" - she reached out with slender and pale hands and grabbed both mugs - 

-"Oh my g-god" - Andrea's jaw went slack - "C-c-ca-te B-...." - she stammered pitifully - 

-"You must be Andrea, I suposse" - the blonde goddess smiled unfazedly - "Miranda talks so much about you. It's a pleasure to meet her famous Andrea" - she smiled charmingly and Andrea felt completely idiotic at her lack of ability to form a coherent sentence -

-Oh my... I-I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were here. Otherwise I wouldn't have just barged in here. I'm sorry" - she rambled- 

-"Oh, no problem, really. I was going over the photo shoot, waiting for Miranda. Looks like someone at Editorial messed up something and your wife charged to give them a dreesing-down" - she chuckled remembering the image of the fuming editor, marching through a tide of scared employees parting like the Red Sea - 

-"Oh, y-yeah, that sounds familiar. How l-long have you been here?" - she tried to stick to the usual pleasantries, trying to forget that she had her lifelong crush, Cate Blanchett, in front of her - 

-"Mmh, let's say about twenty minutes" - she answered eyeing her wristwatch - 

-"Oh, must have been some hell of a mess up then" - the brunette tried to regain some sense of normalcy so she wouldn't look like the obsessed weirdo she felt like - "W-would you like coffee?"

-"Wasn't it for your wife?" - she arched a brow and Andrea felt weak on her knees. This woman exuded sensuality - 

-"Y-yeah, but if I'm right, by the time she comes back it'll be far too warm for her liking" - she said extending her arm and offering the hot beverage to the blonde. Would she notice she was shaking like a leaf? - "And she is not my wife, legally speaking of course" - she added, a bit dejectedly -

-"Oh, I would have sworn that you were married, hearing the way Miranda talks about you" - she sipped the coffee and hummed in approval. A light knock on the door made both of their heads snapped before Anna peeked shyly through the door - 

-"Ah, excuse me, ladies, but Miranda says that she's deeply sorry and won't be able to make it to lunch. She will send down the Art Department Director to escort you during meal" - the second assistant spoke apollogetically - 

-"Ah, don't worry, Anna" - Andrea said, mustering as much confidence as she could - "I'll take Miss Blanchett to lunch" - Well, wow. Where did that bravado come from? the brunette asked herself - 

-"Call me Cate. And that would be wonderful, thank you, Andy" - Cate smiled and Andrea tried to get herself together not to melt into a puddle of fangirl goo -

-"Oh, great" - Anna let out a sigh of relief - "I'll tell Miranda, she'll be pleased" 

-"G-great. Let's go then" - she downed the remaining coffee, reached for Cate's mug and threw both in the bin. It'd be weird if she tried to keep the mug with Cate's lipstick on it... wouldn't it? - 

Both women exited the office and got in the elevator while Anna rushed to her desk and phoned Janette. The first assistant was with Miranda overseeing the photoshoot when the call from Editorial came saying that they couldn't locate this month's main writer and that they needed a new article to be published in the next issue. Miranda had ratcheted up into full-dragon mode and after deciding that she'd blacklist such irresponsible excuse for a writer, she threatened to have the whole editorial team fired if they didn't fix that within the next hour. So Anna begged to any deity that could listen to her that this would at least soothe some of the woman's worries. 

-"Janette? Tell Nigel he won't need to come.. uh-hu... mmh, no, Andy took care of that. She will be accompanying Miss Blanchett to lunch. Great, I bet Miranda will be calmer knowing we've got that covered. Yeah, good luck there" - she hung up and returned to her furious typing - 

Three floors higher, Miranda continued her ranting when Nigel interceded in favour of the poor head of Editorial.

-"Well, it seems your gorgeous lover makes the best hostess" - he said, handling her some documents to distract her ire - 

-"What?" - Miranda was dumbfounded. Why did he bring up Andrea into conversation? -

-"Andrea, she took Cate to lunch" - he continued unwaveringly - 

-"She took..." - the editor trailed off, trying to digest the fact that her beautiful, kind and oh so young Andrea had taken her lifetime crush out for lunch -

Miranda thrusted the documents into Janette's chest for her to take and stalked out, towards the elevator. Rummaging in her purse, she took out her cell phone and the screen lit up with an unread message from Andrea. 

My love, I took the liberty of going lunch with Cate. I'll have Roy drive us to Smith and Wollensky. Please, don't fire too much people. See you at home

I love you <3

Miranda Priestly was not calmer.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As I said, a very smart cinnamon roll

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your kind comments, here's the second part. Enjoy

Andrea exited the car and held the door open for her companion. The blonde had a pair of sunglasses and a scarf wrapped around her neck that covered up to her nose, they swiftly walked inside the restaurant praying that no one would recognize her or that at least, they'd be discreet enough no to scream at the top of their lungs. 

Sitting at the table that was usually reserved for Miranda and her, in a far corner of the restaurant away from prying eyes, Andrea entertained her unexpected (but very welcome) guest. They had sunken in deep conversation and twenty minutes easily flew by as they went through the appetizers and talked about the most different topics. 

-"What do you recommend?" - Cate asked looking over the rim of the menu. Her eyes twinkling with the dim lights of the ambiance and her hair neatly pulled back gave her a manly look, Andrea noticed. Or was it her angular features?

-"Ah, umh, ehem... the Wellington beef with noisette potatoes is a favourite of ours" - Good god, Sachs don't just stare, the brunette chastised herself. 

-"Hum, then I'll have that" - Andrea beckoned the waiter and asked the same for both of them - "Is something the matter, Andy?"

The brunette stalled her incessant fidgetting, her name on the other woman's lips sounded sexy, yes. But not quite as sexy as the way Miranda drawled her signature "An-drey-ha".

-"Uhm? Ah, nothing really. I was just thinking whether they could fix things at Runway" 

-"Mmh, knowing Miranda she'll have everything on track again with a snap of her fingers" - Cate asserted, sipping her wine and humming her approval. A gesture that reminded Andy a lot of the editor - 

-"Yeah, she's impressive. You know, once she told me that no one could do what she did and, at that time, it sounded awfully conceited. But seeing as things are, no one really can achieve what she achieves" - a dreamy smile appeared on the journalist's face and the blonde watched her, amused -

-"You guys are such a pair of lovey-dovey sweethearts" - she stated, cocking an eyebrow as if daring Andrea to deny the obvious - 

-"That we are" - the brunette admitted unabashedly and both laughed -

-"Well, it seems that you won't have to spend another moment without your soulmate" - Cate eyed towards the main door and Andrea didn't need to look to know who it was. The telltale click of heels and the waft of floral essence boded the arrival of her lover. When a gentle hand came to rest atop Andrea's shoulder she smiled widely and got up to press a kiss on the editor's cheek -

-"Hi" - she took her coat and placed it on the back of the chair - 

-"Hello, my darling" - she squeezed her hand affectionately - "Hello, Cate"

-"Miranda" - she acknowledged the editor and got up to provide the mandatory pair of air-kisses-

-"I'm sorry about earlier, but sometimes the level of incompetence my employees are capable of never cease to surprise me" - she said, ensconcing in her chair -

-"Oh, don't worry. Andrea has kept me very good company. Excellent company I could say" - the blonde raised her glass of wine as in a symbolical toast to the brunette and took a long sip without averting her eyes from the young woman. Andy squirmed in her chair and smiled akwardly, she could feel her cheeks warming up. Where did the friendly "Andy" go? Why had she thought that calling her by a name that no one else but Miranda called her was a good idea? 

Miranda watched the whole scene not amused in the slightest. Would it be too uncoath to say: Dear Cate, I know you are a sexual magnet but could you please, if it's not a mayor nuisance, stop ogling my girlfriend so blatantly? Before the mood could turn any tenser, Andrea intervened and promptly beckoned the waiter again.

-"Ah, Miranda, we ordered our usual"

-"Uh, what?" - Miranda blinked a few times as to clear the mental grumpiness - 

-"Cate and I ordered the Wellington with noisette. Would you like the same?" - Andrea probed gently

-"I... no" - Cate and I? Miranda would later chide herself for allowing such nimiety to annoy her but she honestly couldn't get over the fact that a pang of jealousy ambushed her at the worst of times -

-"No?" - Andrea seemed thrown aback. Miranda never refused a good medium-rare steak, much less if it was her favourite dish. In fact, Andy had been trying for a while now to lure the silver-haired woman into eating more fish, worried about the aftermath of excessive red meat consumption -

-"No, I... ehem, I'll have the coq au vin" - Andy arched a brow at the unexpected request but said nothing - "And bring me a wine, white"

-"Any preference?" - the waiter asked dutifully -

-"Just bring a white wine" - the waiter knew better than to poke their best but most mercurial client - "Excuse me" - Miranda gruffly rose and headed towards the toilet-

-"Miran..." - the brunette was left with the name mid-throat and Cate chuckled-

-"Well, it seems like she does need a little push" - the actress muttered under her breath -

-"What?"

-"Nothing" - she smiled charmingly - 

Miranda closed the door behind her and leaned on the sink. What was wrong with her? Fifty years and she became all green with jealousy like some tawdry teenager? Besides, she's a married woman with children, for god's sake. It's not like her girlfriend was having an affair with the celebrity.

Girlfriend... the term wasn't quite so appealing to Miranda. But significant other came up short when describing her lover. Andrea was not only significant, she was everything. She was the meaning and the word, she was the sense and the reason Miranda hadn't know she was missing until the young woman entered her life. 

The editor felt the small box that rested securely in the inner pocket of her button-less blazer and took a fortifying breath.

-"So much for a cowardly old dragon" - she spoke to the mirror and exited the small room. No use for self-deprecatory speech right now.

As she sat at the table she could feel Andrea's eyes on her.

-"Do you feel fine?" - the brunette grabbed her hand, true concern showing in her chocolate orbs-

-"Yes, darling. I'm fine" - Miranda gave her a reassuring squeeze while the waiter adorned the table with the requested delicacies, which smoked faintly. A delectable waft travelled through the air and Andrea moaned.

-"Mmmh, this smells delicious"

-"It does, indeed" - Miranda agreed, praying that the knot in her stomach would at least allow entrance to a quarter of the meal - 

-"Miranda, Andrea was just sharing the good news with me" - Cate smirked as if she was proud of this new little world they had created over lunch and which didn't include the editor -

-"News? What news?" - Miranda eyed Andrea expectantly -

-"The New York Times will be including my article in next month's issue. They said it was very good" - the brunette smiled widely -

-"Oh, my darling, that's fabulous news" 

-"Yup, that was why I came to your office this morning" - she cleared, popping piece of meat - 

-"Seriously, Miranda" - Cate interjected - "The woman is intelligent, funny and gorgeous. What are you waiting for to put a ring on it?"

Andrea almost chocked on her meal. Of course it had to be Cate Blanchett the one to just drop such a bomb and keep on a straight face, as if she was watching a tennis match. 

Sure, Andy had thought about marriage. There was nothing she'd want more than spending the rest of her life with the editor, sporting proudly a ring on her finger signaling their unbreakable bond, sharing what she knew would be the best years of her life with the woman she loved the most and her two beautiful daughters. THEIR beautiful daughters. She would gladly embark in this life-time adventure with her beloved and prove wrong everyone who so cheerfully disparaged Miranda about her coldness and unloveliness.

-"Ah, ehem ehem... I-uh, is it clouding over or is it just me?" - Andrea observed, trying to steer the focus of the conversation away from marriage and its surroundings -

-"Indeed, I don't now what I'm waiting for" - Miranda mumbled unintelligibly and her inner pocket became heavier. Cate grinned -

The rest of the lunch passed by unevently and peacefully. Miranda had sunken deeper into reverie and uttered very few words, Andrea was worried and Cate seemed awfully pleased with herself. 

Three people approached Cate to ask for an autograph and one of them, a young male artist, even dared ask Miranda for hers. When they were about to leave, the restaurateur in person accompanied the three women toawards the exit and bid them farewell and all kind of good wishes. 

-"Well, I had a wonderful time. Thanks a lot" - the blonde smiled widely, sincerely happy - 

-"Anytime" - Andrea beamed - "It was a pleasure to meet you, really" - she leaned in to place a goodbye kiss on Cate's cheek -

-"I'm looking forward to read your articles, Andy" - she turned to Miranda - "And it was a pleasure working with you as always, Miranda" - she air-kissed the editor but remained a little longer on the second kiss to whisper in her ear - "The ball is in your court now, Priestly. Go get her" - Miranda was stunned but quickly recovered -

-"I will" - she muttered - "I'll send you the originals from the photo shoot, keep them as a present" - she continued aloud -

-"Thank you" - she smiled and buttoned up her coat - "Well, see you around, ladies. You can use those quotes we talked about, Andy" - she said walking away - 

-"Ah, thank you. Wait, we can, uhm give you a lift" - Don't use the verb ride and Cate Blanchett in the same sentence, she thought for herself. Miranda was already tense and she didn't want to screw up further - 

-"It's ok" - she whistled loudly and hailed a cab that skidded right in front of her. Andrea giggled and Miranda rolled her eyes - "Go enjoy the rest of the day together. You've got some celebration to do" - she winked playfully before skipping in - 

-"She's right, let's go home, my love" - Andrea pecked her lover chastely on the lips and headed towards the Mercedes, where Roy was already waiting wth the door held open -

The ride to the town house was quiet, Miranda limited herself to look through the window and never uttered a word but she did intertwined her fingers with Andreas', when the brunette sought reassurance in physical contact.

Once in their home, Andrea was even more worried. The editor climbed upstairs and shut herself down in her study. Was Miranda giving her the cold shoulder? And if she was, why? Of course she had noticed how tense the editor was during lunch and how her back stiffened every time Cate became over-flirtatious but she didn't seem mad, if something she seemed pensive. Oh no, was she reconsidering their relation? Before Andrea could go on with her mulling, Miranda called.

-"Andrea, could you come up here?" - her voice didn't give anything away, it was neutral and painfully similar to the one she used when Andrea dropped the book, when she was just an assistant -

-"Gird your loins" - the journalist braced herself, climbing each step with dread in her chest- 

-"Close the door, darling" - the editor said getting up and approaching slowly - "You know, I've been thinking for a while now"- Oh no, here it comes , the brunette thought. She's not giving me the cold shoulder, she's gotten cold feet about us -"And I couldn't seeme to bring myself to muster the courage to tell you" 

-"Out with it, Miranda" - the editor winced at the harsh tone -

-"I know I haven't been the best partner" - Miranda cleared her throat and squared her shoulders - " I'm moody and even whimsical sometimes, I know I don't have the best character nor am I easy to deal with. But I can assure you that I only have your best interests at heart, my darling, and if you can put up with a bad-tempered dragon..." - she kneeled in front of Andy and took a tiny velvety box from her blazer - "would you do me the honour of becoming my wife, Andrea?" - she finished, lifting the lid and uncovering a glimmery champagne stone shining brightly on top of a thin silver band - 

Andrea was utterly bemused. She had prepared herself to be harshly berated about flirting with celebrities and hanging on to someone for fame but she was wrong. She was so completely, awfully, stupidly wrong. And she was so happy she had been wrong.

-"Yes!" - the widest smile ever erupted in her face and she threw herself at Miranda's arms, making them both fall on the carpeted floor - "I love you, Miranda. Of course I will marry you, of course!" - she peppered her lover's face with kisses, making her go into a fit of giggles - 

-"Thank you, my darling, thank you so very much" - the editor hugged her more tightly and could feel the tears rimming her eyes - "I've been such a fool and a coward. Could you forgive me, my Andrea?"

-"What? Why?" - she said wipping a few tears from her shapely cheekbones - 

-"I've had this ring for about two months but I couldn't, I... Someone else had to point me out how special you were, someone else had to make me realise that they could snatch you away right from under my nose" - she sniffed pitifully and the brunette thought that it was the saddest sound she'd heard - "I know she wasn't actually flirting with you but God, it hurt and it stung and I..." - a sob made it past her lips and Andrea cupped her face -

-"Hey, it's ok. I love you, I'm not going anywhere" - she pressed their lips together - "Now, are you going to put that ring on me or what?" - she side-smirked and Miranda laughed - 

The news of the wedding spreaded like wild fire. In 48 hours every newspaper and magazine in New York were talking about her bethrotal to the Queen of Fashion. Andrea arrived at the New York Mirror afterhaving succesfully evaded the swarm of paparazzis. She sighed and plopped heavily on her chair, hopefully some other more interesting scandal would arise and their obsession would wane.

A sharp ping took her out of her inner musings. She swiftly took the phone and answered.

-"Sachs" 

-"Well, do I get to be the bridesmaid?" - the velvety voice on the other end inquired - 

Andrea tossed her head backwards and laughed hard.

-"You! You knew and poked her all around! God, unbelievable. How? I mean..." 

-"Did you know that the day I went to Runway for the photo shoot there was a bridal spread?"

-"Noooo..."

-"Well, there was" - Cate continued - "And I caught her a few times looking at it... wishfully. And then, the way she talked about you... that woman is crazy for you. But I didn't know my tactics would turn out to be so effective" - she chuckled slyly - 

-"Thank you, Cate" - she said sarcastically but good-naturedly - " And yes, of course you can be the bridesmaid IF you can put up with my geeky childhood friend asking you all kinds of things about Galadriel"

-"No problem, I'll even get them a souvenir" - the blonde retorted -

-"Great then, I believe cerulean would look good on you. I mean, a potato sack would look good on you but let's just go with cerulean" - she had to supress her laughter. A few days ago she had to school herself not to stammer pitifully in front of the actress and now, they were talking like they were life-time acquaintances - 

-"Smooth, Sachs, very smooth. Well, I have a plane to board. Send my regards to your future wife. See you at the wedding"

-"See you at the wedding, Cate" - Andrea smiled over the telephone -

Yes, Cate Blanchett was awesome. But Miranda Priestly had no match.


End file.
